Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Virtual Blog Tour: Kaily Hart's Picture This (Leave A Comment For A Chance to Win A Goody Tower)

Alisha, thanks so much for having me here today!

Experiencing my first sale and seeing my first book published has been a crazy and exciting ride. Some things I’d imagined before hand and they were pretty spot on. Others, I couldn’t have anticipated in my wildest dreams, such as, what it feels like to read a glowing review, to have a reader reach out directly to tell me they loved the book and to have people ask me when the next one will be out! I write to quiet the demanding voices in my head (I’m not really nuts, honest!) and to also provide enjoyment and pleasure and escapism with my words, because that’s what books have meant to me. I write romance because…well, I believe in striving for happiness and what makes us whole. I write hot and steamy romance because I believe important aspects of a developing relationship don’t stop at a closed bedroom door. In fact, those intimate moments can be where we learn the most about the characters and how they’re evolving. I spend a lot of time on developing my characters. I create complete histories for them and flush them out with beliefs, opinions and of course, flaws. To me, it’s what makes them real. Often, most of these details never make it into the book explicitly, but I sure know how any of them will react if put into a given situation! Do I have favorite characters? Nope. That would be like asking me to choose favorites among my children. Each one is different, with different qualities (both good and bad) and they just are who they are, each special and unique. Are my heroines like me in any way? Yes and no. I think they must have something of myself in them because I need to be able to relate to them on some level (just as the reader needs to), but they don’t necessarily physically resemble me or have the any of the same personality traits. Sometimes it’s fun to write someone more daring, more bold, and let’s face it, someone who gets to have more fun! It’s the heroine in romantic fiction the reader is invested with, but I always say it’s the hero’s show in many ways.

There’s often a lot of discussion about what makes a sexy hero in romantic fiction, but what about the heroine? What traits do you think the heroine needs to have or what ones make it difficult for you to relate to her? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

LEAVE A COMMENT FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A GOODY TOWER. THE MORE YOU COMMENT ON KAILY'S TOUR, THE BIGGER YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. GO TO KAILY'S TOUR DATES HERE!TOUR DATES

Blurb: Desperate and young, Jillian Moore did something she knew would one day come back to bite her in the ass. She’d posed nude. For money. Years later, and on the fast track to a successful career, she’s still haunted by her mistake. She can’t help but wonder when her past will catch up with her.

Samuel Steele is not short on female attention, but the women who warm his bed pale in comparison to the fantasy he’s created of the seductive temptress in the painting hanging prominently in his bedroom. A fantasy that has ruined his once satisfying sex life. When he discovers that her exact likeness works in his building—for him—things get…interesting.

Excerpt: It’d been sold, again, three months earlier. Private auction, anonymous bidder and there was no way for her to find out who’d bought it. All she knew for sure was that it’d been a man. It figured. Damn, she’d been close this time. Not that she would have been able to afford to make even one bid herself. It had opened at fifteen thousand and after some fast and furious bidding had finally gone for a cool seventy-five thousand—dollars. Jeez, she’d probably be paying off her student loans for another twenty years and some guy had dropped seventy-five grand on a picture?

Hi Kaily, I definitely agree that having flaws makes the characters more real. People are not perfect, and we do like to read characters who seem real. That said, there are some heroines who I cannot stand to read, like whimps. I shudder when I read about a heroine who is scared of her own shadow. Strong, bold, and a bit sassy are my kind of heroines. Your book sounds great, by the way!

Kaily, I enjoyed reading your blog as your insight on characters and how intimacy defines them as shows growth, changes within character. For me, a true heroine must overcome a fear, must be real in facing challenges If she's afraid, it makes her steps forward even a stronger story. Take care and I wish you every success!

The tower looks yummy! Kaily, your book sounds great! I like heroines that are smart and sassy and have a little bit of a kick butt attitude. I don't like it when they whine or constantly fight with the hero. Have a great evening!

Well of course the tower drew me in - I like my heroes to be rough on the edges and my heroines to have some vulnerability - although I like strong characters. Weak, whiny characters drive me crazy. More often than not, I just wish they'd expire. The book sounds great.

Hi Tiffany! Yeah, a heroine ccan/should have flaws I think, but there needs to be a core of strength there. Wildlypoetic, you said it!Thank you, Michele!Jeanmarie, yes, it's so special. Sylvia, thanks. You know, I'm not sure I've read a weepy heroine, or that I could write one either!Thanks so much, Diana.Maeve, Oh no, wouldn't want that :).Gabrielle, I have to say I like a heroine who can give a strong hero a run for his money!Hi Ardee-ann, thank you! I hope you enjoy it!Karilyn, yeah, kick butt does it for me too!P.L. well my hero in Picture This is nothing if not rough around the edges!

Alisha, it was fun to be here and what great comments. I'll continue to check back in!!

I like a strong heroine who stands up for herself, does whatever it takes to accomplish her goals, and yet has a nuturing side that makes her a caring individual. If she can hold her own in a fight, that's even better! She should be resourceful and able to adapt to changing circumstances. As for flaws, maybe she's too trusting and takes everyone at face value or she doesn't appreciate the family or friends she has or...you get the idea.

Don't forget to check out my charity book for children, Tennessee. 100% of proceeds go to gifting books to the Children of our Fallen Warriors at Snowball Express in December. Visit Tennessee's website at http://tennesseethetherapycat.weebly.com!